U.S. Steel CEO says Trump's "golden share" won't stop company from "doing what we want to do"
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
CBS frames Trump’s “golden share” as a quirky power grab, with the CEO reassuring viewers it will not change much. That misses why many conservatives think the arrangement exists in the first place: not to micromanage boardrooms, but to prevent strategic assets from drifting out of America’s control. If a foreign acquisition needs political guardrails to be acceptable, that is a sign of **national security** risk and **public trust** at stake.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel came with an unusual provision, a so-called "golden share" that gives President Trump the power to approve some major corporate decisions. U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt talked to "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil about that golden share and the future of the company.
Original source:
Read at CBS NewsHow We See It
New Republican Times Editorial Board
CBS frames Trump’s “golden share” as a quirky power grab, with the CEO reassuring viewers it will not change much. That misses why many conservatives think the arrangement exists in the first place: not to micromanage boardrooms, but to prevent strategic assets from drifting out of America’s control.
If a foreign acquisition needs political guardrails to be acceptable, that is a sign of national security risk and public trust at stake. Steel is not just another brand. It sits underneath defense production, infrastructure, and supply chain resilience. “Doing what we want to do” is fine, until “we” means executives optimizing for global profit while Americans absorb the downside.
The real test is whether the golden share is used with rule of law discipline, narrow scope, and institutional stability in mind. The principle is simple: critical industries should answer first to the country that depends on them.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.